


vatican cameos

by paroxysmalirony



Series: help! there's an fbi agent in my camera! [3]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Spies & Secret Agents, Blood and Violence, Crack Treated Seriously, Guns, Gunshot Wounds, Happy Ending, M/M, Minor Injuries, Museums, cuz hyuck is a tsundere dickhead, he's a cutie, just a likkle bit, lucas wong tho, not really a love story
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-11
Updated: 2018-03-11
Packaged: 2019-03-29 19:48:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,715
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13934046
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/paroxysmalirony/pseuds/paroxysmalirony
Summary: “I just got you to admit that you’re having fun,” Lucas muses, straightening in his seat. Donghyuck watches in real time as his smile goes from stupid to smug. “With me.”“Please,” Donghyuck scoffs, annoyed. “That old man in the corner over there is better company than you.”





	vatican cameos

**Author's Note:**

  * For [hyuckheis (johnyongs)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/johnyongs/gifts).



> hello.
> 
> this piece is dedicated to the one and only nini! i'm not sure if i ship these two quite yet, but you've opened my eyes to a set of very interesting dynamics that i couldn't _not _play around with. i truly hope you enjoy this piece.__  
>   
>  a few disclaimers: this isn't really a romance fic so if you're looking for some lovey dovey ting then this might not be for you, as there will be mentions of blood, violence, and injuries amongst other things.  
>   
> i am also _not _from new york so forgive me for any inaccuracies lmao__  
>   
>  OH and you'll probably catch on but anytime a person is speaking via earpiece, their dialogue will be italicized!  
>   
> carry on

It was supposed to be a simple mission—one that required no more than ten minutes of recon and approximately five of field work, _tops_ . But if there’s anything Donghyuck knows all too well it’s that, in his line of work, things _rarely_ go as planned.

The plan _was_ to scope out the crowd at the American Museum of Natural History, spot and isolate his target—some thief (read: megalomaniac) who used the alias, Zeus (exhibit A)—and retrieve the stolen object (a flash drive) in his possession without any collateral damage.

“ _Shit_ ,” he curses under his breath the very minute things begin to go awry.

There’s a crackle of feedback in his ear, and then-

“ _What’s wrong_?”

At the sound of Renjun’s voice, Donghyuck slowly brings a hand up to the back of his left ear and adjusts his earpiece.

“I lost eyes on our target,” Donghyuck mutters, slowing to a stop beneath the giant fibreglass blue whale’s belly. It’s in that very moment that a child no more than five years of age quite literally pushes past Donghyuck, nearly causing him to topple over—which is exactly what would have happened had it not been for the agility training he’d received back home. Donghyuck fights the urge to glare at the kid’s mother, who only laughs in response to the little brat’s antics. “There’s too many _bloody_ people here.”

“ _Well, it is Saturday morning_ ,” Renjun points out, chuckling lightly. “ _Peak business hours_.”

“ _Zeus must have known we’d be coming_.” Another voice says, this one belonging to Yeri, Donghyuck’s partner, who is currently stationed somewhere on the upper level of the Ocean Life Hall.

“What an absolute cock,” Donghyuck spits, his eyes still scanning the crowd for his target. He finds _nothing_. “What do you see, Renjun?”

There’s silence on Renjun’s end for a moment. “ _Nothing in the Ocean Life exhibit—wait! I think he’s moved on to the… Hall of Biodiversity_.”

“What’s the quickest way there from where I am?” Donghyuck asks, already making note of at least three potential exits he could use.

“ _Back up the stairs you came from_ ,” is Renjun’s response.

“ _I’m taking the left_ ,” Yeri declares, indicating that she’s already beat Donghyuck to the Biodiversity exhibit.

“Then I’ll take the right,” Donghyuck replies, bounding up the steps. “We’ll need frequent updates, Junie.”

“ _Of course_ ,” Renjun says, just as Donghyuck slips into the exhibit. “ _It looks like he’s joined a tour group. They’re headed towards Roosevelt Hall. You’ll need to get to him fast_.”

“On it,” both Donghyuck and Yeri say in unison, as the former cuts across the exhibit and joins his partner beneath the threshold.

“ _Shit…_ ” Renjun curses suddenly. “ _I think someone is blocking my servers…_ ” he says in explanation. “ _I’m losing visual, I’ll have to do a complete reboot. Think you’ll be okay without me_?”

“I think we got it from here,” Donghyuck says, his gaze falling onto Zeus’ slender form as he begins to slip away from the tour group.

“ _Try not to cause too much trouble while I’m away,_ ” are Renjun’s final words before signing off.

“Where the hell is he going?” Yeri asks, and it takes Donghyuck a few seconds to realize that she’s referring to Zeus and not Renjun.

Donghyuck squints.

Currently, Zeus is making a sudden turn into a corridor, completely disregarding the _Do Not Enter_ signs decorating its entrance.

“Think he’s making an escape?” Donghyuck wonders, casting a furtive glance over his shoulder.

There aren’t any security guards in the area, so he slips under the caution tape.

“Probably,” Yeri says, doing the same. “We’ll have to find him before he does.”

Donghyuck can hear the traces of doubt in Yeri’s voice. He doesn’t comment on it, though because as much as he’d hate to admit it, he’s feeling pretty doubtful himself.

The corridor they’re currently standing in is a maze.

Like, an _actual_ maze.

 _Inside King Minos’ Maze_ is what the sign above its entrance reads.

“Leave it to this sociopath to make us lose ourselves in a maze exhibit,” Donghyuck groans, wanting nothing more than for this mission to _end._ “I deserve to be knighted for this.”

“Save your complaints for later,” Yeri snorts, nudging Donghyuck’s forearm. “We’re running out of time.”

Donghyuck sighs. “I’ll take the left?”

Yeri nods. “See you at the end.”

The two agents set off into their respective corners of the maze.

“Do you see anything?” Donghyuck asks after about a minute of zigzagging.

“ _No_ ,” Yeri replies, her tone frustrated. “ _This thing is making me hate mythology_.”

“Oh, I’m with you,” Donghyuck says, inching away from a pretty convincing sculpture of a _sphinx_ . “Except my love of Greek mythology died the _first_ time they made us go after this guy,” Donghyuck adds, making yet another turn. This part of the maze is different, he realizes, taking note of the wide window that looks out onto the busy street outside. It makes him feel a lot less hopeless than he really is. “Like seriously—what kind of self-important, god-complex having narcissist calls himself _Zeus_?”

“You have something against my name?”

Donghyuck curses.

“ _What is it_?” Yeri asks, her voice filled with concern.

However, before Donghyuck can answer, there’s a hand slapping itself against his mouth, silencing him. Donghyuck feels it as his earpiece his yanked right out of his ear.

“You won’t be needing this anymore,” he can hear his assailant say as he struggles to free himself.

Donghyuck hears a _smack_ followed by a _crunch_ , then he’s freed.

He’s spares a quick (pained) glance at the scattered remains of his (expensive) earpiece (Renjun will kill him) as he pulls a gun out of the inner lining of his jacket and aims it.

“I _do_ have something against your name,” Donghyuck rasps, his breathing ragged. From this distance, he can clearly see the menacing curl of Zeus’ lips as he speaks. “It’s fucking stupid.”

“Well, I couldn’t possibly go by my real name,” Zeus says, taking a confident step towards Donghyuck.

Donghyuck removes the safety. The gun clicks. “Don’t. Move.”

“Now _that_ would be stupid of me,” Zeus continues, _completely_ ignoring Donghyuck’s warning. “Wouldn’t it, _Daniel_?”

Donghyuck stills, swallowing thickly.

No one calls him that anymore.

“How do you know that name?” he asks, anger painting his voice.

“I know everything,” Zeus smirks.

“So,” Donghyuck starts, his finger sliding onto the trigger. “You know why I’m here.”

“Of course,” Zeus says, taking another step forward—his chest pressed against the silencer of Donghyuck’s gun. “You Brits are too predictable.”

“Well, you Belgians aren’t so great either,” Donghyuck retorts as evenly as he can manage. “We found you.”

“Sure,” Zeus concedes, tilting his head to the side. “Because I let you.”

Donghyuck rolls his eyes, feeling impatient. “Where is it? Where’s the flash drive?”

“Oh, that thing?” Zeus replies, evidently amused. “You’re too late, I got rid of it.”

“You’re lying,” Donghyuck frowns.

“Search me,” is Zeus’ response.

Knowing full well that it could be a trick, Donghyuck complies.

 _It’s a 50:50 chance_ , he figures as he crouches down to pat up and down Zeus’ legs. And besides, he can’t risk letting him get away with _government secrets._ Especially not on his watch.

He moves up to Zeus’ torso, patting the expanse of the man’s overcoat, which is where he finds a bulge in the man’s jacket. Donghyuck fishes through the inside of jacket and finds-

“A pen?” Donghyuck asks. “Is this a joke?”

“I told you I got rid of it,” Zeus coos, though it sounds more menacing than anything.

“Where is it?” Donghyuck asks, aiming his gun again.

Zeus grins. “I can’t say.”

What happens next happens so quickly that Donghyuck barely even has the chance to truly process it all.

That, and he’d honestly rather die than have to retell it.

What can he say? It’s _embarrassing_ how fast Zeus manages to disarm him.

One moment, Donghyuck has the upper hand, and in the next, he’s pushed to his knees and forced to watch as his gun is clatters to the floor.

His shooting hand (now free) is surely sprained and before Donghyuck can even react to the sudden jolt of pain in his right hand, Zeus is plucking the pen out of his other.

“What are you doing?” Donghyuck forces out through gritted teeth.

“Bombs away,” Zeus says, pressing down on the pen.

And Donghyuck realizes too late that it isn’t really a pen, but a detonator.

There’s a blast.

The window shatters.

Donghyuck blacks out.

 

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

**BREAKING: EXPLOSION AT AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY**

by Dongyoung Kim, New York Times | Feb 24 2018, 11:45 am EST

Saturday February 24 at approximately 11:22 AM EST, there was an explosion on the site of what would have been AMNH’s week-long exhibit, _Inside King Minos’ Maze_ , which was due to open on the first week of March. No reported injuries as of yet. Surveillance footage is still being observed by the NYPD. More news to come.

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

 

“Now what?” Yeri wails, the moment they step back into their Airbnb.

The shrillness of her voice is enough to hit Donghyuck—sore and limping at her side—with a wave of nausea. He is still in the process of recovering from the aftereffects of being so close to the initial blast.

There’s a ringing in his ears that has yet to disappear and even a huge shard of glass embedded in his shoulder that needs to be looked after.

And his hand is still sprained.

 _Such is the life of a federal agent_ , he can almost hear his mentor, Sir Taeil William Moon Jr (TJ to those lucky enough to be considered a friend of his), say.

“We wait,” Donghyuck says, dragging his sorry ass over to the pantry, where he knows the owners keep their liquor hidden. He gets his good hand on a half-empty bottle of Absolut, twists it open, and takes a swig. “Jun should be calling us back soon,” he adds, wiping his mouth with the back of a trembling hand. The pain is making his vision blur. “Tell us what to do next.”

“Well he needs to hurry,” Yeri snaps, walking over to Donghyuck, who is currently slumped against the counter, his fist closed around the bottle’s neck. “Zeus is going to get away if we don’t get back on our feet,” she mutters, expression softening when Donghyuck winces at the throbbing pain his arm. “How’re you feeling?”

“I’m fine,” Donghyuck lets out through gritted teeth. “Let’s just hope the doctor gets here before I bleed out—goddamn this shit _hurts_.”

It takes their doctor another two minutes to get to their Airbnb.

“Sorry I’m late,” the man says the moment Yeri lets him into the apartment. Donghyuck, now sprawled across the kitchen floor, looks up at him through half-lidded eyes. “The traffic here is a _nightmare_.”

“Over here,” Donghyuck signals, his voice quivering.

“You must be Agent Lee,” the doctor notes, hauling his large suitcase with him as he nears the kitchen.

“At your service,” Donghyuck waves. Or tries to. It hurts.

The man smiles. “I’m Yuta Nakamoto, your doctor.”

“Yeri,” the other agent says, stopping in front of the island. “Shall we move him to the dining room?”

Because Donghyuck _hates_ being doted on, he refuses, claiming that he can do it on his own. So it’s with great difficulty that he hobbles over to the dining table and hoists himself onto one of its elevated chairs, careful not to jostle the jagged shard of glass in his shoulder to much as he does.

“So what exactly happened here?” Doctor Nakamoto asks as he lifts his suitcase onto the dining table.

Donghyuck raises a brow. “They didn’t tell you?”

“Just that one of Britain’s _finest agents_ was in need of my help,” the doctor says, walking back to the kitchen. “I left as soon as I got the call,” he explains as he washes his hands. “Do you mind taking off your shirt?”

“Well, Britain’s finest here nearly got himself blown up during our mission,” Yeri snorts, helping Donghyuck out of his bloodstained top.

“Loads more than what you were doing,” Donghyuck jibes, kissing his teeth.

“You know what they say about biting the hand that feeds you,” Yeri warns, _purposely_ applying pressure onto Donghyuck’s shoulder. The latter cries out in pain. “Don’t do it.”

“Holy _shit_ , I’m sorry,” Donghyuck wails, pushing Yeri’s hand away.

“That’s better,” Yeri smiles cheerfully, swiftly pulling off what remained of the shirt. Then, a ringing sounds from the living room. She straightens. “ _That_ should be Renjun.”

With that, Yeri steps out of the room in order to answer the call.

“Alright,” Doctor Nakamoto starts, pulling on a set of sterilized gloves. “Let’s get you patched up.”

“Let’s do it— _bloody hell_!” Donghyuck cries out _again_ , his vision going white for a moment. When his vision comes back, what he sees is Doctor Nakamoto smiling down at him, the shard of glass that had been wedged into his shoulder held tightly between his thumb and forefinger. “You couldn’t have warned me?”

“It’s easier this way,” the doctor shrugs, tossing the glass into a metal bowl.

He then brings out a stitching kit and begins to go about closing up Donghyuck’s wound.

“Ooh… looking good, Hyuck!”

It’s Renjun, Donghyuck learns, looking away from the spot on the ceiling he’d been staring (surprise! the sight of blood makes him _queasy_ ) to see Yeri walk back into the dining room, laptop in hand.

“Junie,” Donghyuck laughs shakily. He nods at the image of his friend displayed on the screen. “I thought I’d never see you again.”

“It’s just a flesh wound,” Doctor Nakamoto points out, finishing up the stitches. And then, “hello, Renjun.”

“Hey, Yuta.” Renjun waves.

Donghyuck frowns. “You two know each other?”

“He was my commander before I was discharged,” Renjun explains, referring to the the time he spent working for the Royal Navy. “I knew he was Stateside, so I requested him specifically.”

“Didn’t know you were so popular,” Donghyuck jokes, to which Renjun rolls his eyes. “Anyway, what’s next?”

Renjun sighs. “I got some good and bad news for you two. Which would you like first?”

“Bad,” the two agents say in unison.

“Bad news is that Zeus wasn’t lying when he told you he’d gotten rid of the flash drive.”

“And the good news?” Donghyuck prompts, watching intently as Doctor Nakamoto wraps his sprained hand.

“I found footage of where he’d planted it. Or rather, on _who_ he’d planted it.”

“Oh?” Yeri quizzes, evidently intrigued. “Who is it?”

“Bad news again—I don’t know yet,” Renjun grimaces, scratching the back of his neck. “All I know is that he slipped into the back pocket of a tour guide’s jeans. I’m still in the process of looking through the employee database to match the guy’s face to the surveillance footage, so that’s all we’ll know for now,” he pauses. “Sorry.”

“No worries,” Yeri shakes her head. “How much longer?”

“Uh… a few more seconds, actually.” Renjun says, leaning out of frame for a moment to monitor his other screens. “I’ve narrowed it down to fifteen potential candidates, and… here we go!” he exclaims, straightening. “His name is Lucas Wong. Born on January twenty-fifth-”

“Something _useful_ , please.” Donghyuck begs.

“ _I’m looking_ ,” Renjun shoots back, momentarily pausing his hacking to glare at Donghyuck through the camera. “Alright, his phone’s GPS says he’s on the train headed to Queens. Going home, by the looks of it.”

“Great!” Donghyuck exclaims. “Let’s beat him to it-”

“Not so fast!” Doctor Nakamoto tuts, holding out his arm. “You need to take it easy. No hand to hand combat for the next couple days. Think you can do that?”

“Yeah, but don’t worry, Doctor. We’ll finish this mission and be on a plane back to London within the next hour,” Donghyuck rushes to his feet, only to be hit with the realization that he is _exhausted_. “Okay… maybe later. I need to rest.”

Doctor Nakamoto gives him a knowing smile. “That’s more like it,” he says, packing up his things, before turning to Yeri. “Make sure he doesn’t worsen his injuries?”

“I’ll try,” Yeri promises, walking the doctor to the door.

“I’ll keep tracking our target,” Renjun assures, directing Donghyuck’s attention back to the laptop. “You get some rest, alright?”

Donghyuck nods. “See you later.”

Renjun signs off, leaving Donghyuck to haul himself into his designated bedroom and knock out.

 

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

 

Hours pass before Donghyuck wakes up again.

“He’s at NYU’s Bobst Library,” Renjun tells the two agents, once they’ve both washed up.

“And you’re sure he’ll still be there by the time we get there?” Yeri questions, adjusting the straps of her blade holster before pulling down her pant leg.

“His schedule says he has a Literature midterm this coming Tuesday and he isn’t doing _too_ well in the course,” Renjun says in response. “So yeah, I think you should be fine.”

“Okay,” Donghyuck and Yeri say in unison.

“And remember,” Renjun adds one last time. “The drive should be in rear left pocket of his jeans.”

“You ready to go?” Yeri asks once Renjun has signed off their video chat.

“Yeah,” Donghyuck nods, running his good hand over his torso. He can feel the familiar grooves of his gun, hidden beneath the padding of his coat. “This’ll be easy.”

But as per usual, things don’t go as planned.

Donghyuck realizes this the moment he catches a glimpse at Lucas Wong’s legs.

“He’s supposed to be wearing jeans,” Donghyuck whispers harshly from where he and Yeri stand hidden behind a bookshelf—a safe distance away from where Lucas, clad in a ridiculous pair of Spongebob themed pyjama pants and a plain black hoodie, is currently sitting with a friend. “Why’s he wearing his _pyjamas_?”

Yeri frowns, peeking through the gaps in the wooden fixture. “I don’t know,” she says, sighing deeply. “He did go home before coming here. Probably changed.”

Donghyuck whines. “Why would he do that?”

“Beats me,” Yeri mutters as she straightens. “What do we do now?”

Donghyuck hums. “Break into his flat?”

“Renjun,” Yeri calls, adjusting her mic. “You said he lives all the way in Queen’s right?”

“Right,” Donghyuck hears through his _new_ earpiece (“Break another one and I’ll turn that sprain of yours into a clean break when you’re back.”) “And he’s got flatmates. A break-in could be difficult to manage on a Saturday evening.”

“Shit,” Donghyuck hisses, pinching the bridge of his nose. “What do you suggest we do?”

“Don’t ask me,” Renjun laughs. “I’m just the tech guy.”

“Don’t sell yourself short,” Yeri replies. “You’re more resourceful than most field agents I know.”

“Hm…” Renjun ponders for a moment. “I guess… maybe you wouldn’t have to break in if he were to invite you over?”

Yeri nods slowly. “So you’re saying we should befriend him?”

“Or seduce him,” Donghyuck jokes, earning himself a glare from Yeri.

“I don’t know,” Renjun chuckles. “But whatever you decide, it’ll have to be quick. We don’t know what’ll happen if Zeus were to get to him _or_ his friends first.”

“That’s true,” Yeri sighs, her brows knit.

“I guess we’ll have to wing it,” Donghyuck figures, glancing over at Lucas. The man still seems to be immersed in whatever’s currently displayed on his laptop’s screen. Donghyuck turns to Yeri. “You go first.”

“Why me?” Yeri frowns.

“ _Because_ ,” Donghyuck starts, gesturing at her face. “You’re pretty.”

“Oh please, that doesn’t work on everyone,” she hisses, smacking Donghyuck’s hand (thankfully his non-bandaged one) away. “He could be gay.”

Donghyuck glances in Lucas’ direction and snorts. “Doubt it.”

“You know what? Just follow my lead,” Yeri orders, rolling her eyes before setting off towards the table where Lucas is sitting. She clears her throat. Both Lucas and the girl look up. “Excuse me? Are these seats taken?”

Lucas shakes his head, pulling an earbud out of his ear. “Oh no, go ahead.”

“Thank you,” Yeri exclaims, dropping into the chair across Lucas’, forcing Donghyuck to take the seat _beside him_ . “We’ve been looking for somewhere to sit for _ages_!”

“Library’s always packed on weekends,” Lucas offers as an explanation, scooting over to make room for Donghyuck. “Plus it’s midterms season, so it’s even crazier… But you guys aren’t from here though, right?”

Yeri nods. “We’re from London.”

“England?” Lucas gapes, looking between the two agents.

 _No, Canada_ , Donghyuck almost retorts, but he keeps his mouth shut and maintains his silent facade.

“Yep,” Yeri affirms, nodding quickly. “We’re here on holiday.”

“Oh,” Lucas says, nodding himself, albeit much slower. “You two dating?”

“God no,” are Donghyuck’s first words to the group. Lucas and the girl eye him curiously. “We’re-”

“Siblings,” Yeri finishes easily. “This is my brother, Danny,” she says, gesturing towards Donghyuck. He waves. “And I’m Katie.”

“Nice,” their target grins. “I’m Lucas.”

“Koeun,” the girl says.

“Nice to meet the two of you,” Yeri smiles, clasping the two of her hands together. “Oh, Danny—aren’t Americans the _nicest_?”

“Sure.” Donghyuck says, forcing a smile.

“So…” Yeri starts again, making herself comfortable. “What are you studying for?”

Donghyuck looks down at Lucas’ computer screen.

It’s paused at the halfway mark of _Zootopia_.

Donghyuck bites back a laugh.

“Oh, we’re not studying,” Lucas _guffaws_ , shaking his head.

Yeri raises a brow. “You’re not?”

“We _should_ be,” Koeun sighs. “But no, we’re not.”

“I can’t really focus right now,” Lucas says in explanation once he’s calmed down.

“Why not?” Yeri prods.

There’s a beat before Lucas replies with, “I almost _died_ today.”

“Shit,” Donghyuck curses, as he has an inkling as to what Lucas is currently referring to. It _was_ sort of his fault, to begin with. But he also sees it as an opening to establish a necessary acquaintanceship with the man. “What happened?”

“There was an explosion where I work today.”

“Oh my God, you poor thing,” Yeri exclaims, placing her hand onto their target’s. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah, I’m okay.”

“Was it at that museum?” Donghyuck asks with the hopes of seeming like he cares. Lucas nods solemnly. “Must’ve been scary.”

“It _was_ ,” Lucas concedes, clutching his chest. “I literally couldn’t stop shaking the whole way home.”

“You should’ve seen him,” Koeun says, sending her friend a sympathetic glance. “It took us hours to try and calm him down. Eventually Zootopia did the trick.”

“It’s my favourite movie,” Lucas shrugs.

“Really?” Donghyuck questions, brows shooting upward, to which Lucas nods. “I haven’t seen it.”

“You, my friend, are missing out,” Lucas says with a smile, followed by a tentative, “Do you want to watch the rest with me?”

Donghyuck pauses, looking over at Yeri for guidance. Unfortunately, his partner is too preoccupied with whatever’s playing from Koeun’s laptop to notice his distress.

“ _Don’t be an idiot_ ,” Renjun tells him through the earpiece, reminding Donghyuck that he’d been listening in on this exchange the entire time. “ _Say yes. Make him trust you_.”

“Sure,” Donghyuck tells Lucas, fighting the urge to rolls his eyes.

“ _And stop flaring your nostrils_ ,” Renjun adds, just as Lucas hands Donghyuck an earbud. “ _You want him to like you, not be scared of you_.”

Donghyuck’s eyes go wide.

“ _Calm down, I hacked into his laptop’s camera_ ,” Renjun explains, the laughter in his voice evident. “ _Now stop frowning and watch the movie_.”

Donghyuck does just that, which isn’t hard at all, considering it’s a pretty good movie. He makes a mental note to stream it in its entirety on his next day off as they finish up.

“So, what’d you think?” Lucas asks, smiling at him expectantly.

“I can see why it’s your favourite movie,” Donghyuck shrugs, which—despite the look of indifference he knows he’s wearing—seems to be the right thing to say.

“Right?” Lucas replies, _beaming_. “I’m glad you liked it.”

“Danny?” Yeri suddenly calls.

Donghyuck looks away from Lucas to find his partner walking towards the table with Koeun at her side. The two of them are holding matching drinks from-

“Starbucks? When’d you guys leave?” Donghyuck blinks.

“Twenty minutes ago?” Koeun offers, although unsure. “We would’ve gotten you something, but you seemed really into the movie.”

“ _You looked adorable_ ,” Renjun comments and Donghyuck can see the twitching of Yeri’s mouth as she fights back a laugh.

“It’s all good,” Lucas says, shaking his head.

“Anyway, is it over now?” Yeri asks, setting her drink down for a moment to fix her scarf. “We’re supposed to meet up with Renjun for dinner in a bit, remember?”

“Oh right,” Donghyuck exclaims, catching on to her ruse. “Yeah it’s done. Let’s go.”

“You’re leaving?” Lucas asks, watching Donghyuck stand.

Yeri nods. “Our friend’s waiting for us.”

“Oh okay. Then I guess I’ll leave too,” Lucas decides, gathering his things.

“You sure?” Donghyuck asks, eyeing him carefully.

“Yeah, it’s not like I was studying anyway,” Lucas chuckles, zipping up his school bag. He then turns to Koeun as she holsters her own bag. “Koeun, you coming?”

“No, I’m meeting Hina downstairs,” she explains, shaking her head. “I’m staying at her place tonight.”

“Ight then, easy,” Lucas says, holding out his hand. Donghyuck watches in mild confusion as the two of them exchange a complicated handshake with ease. “Call me when you get there?”

“I will,” Koeun vows, doing up her jacket before turning to the agents. “Also it was really nice meeting the two of you.”

“Oh, you as well,” Yeri exclaims, pulling the other girl into her arms. They pull away, giggling to themselves.  “Have a lovely night.”

“ _She’s too good at this,_ ” Renjun points out as Koeun walks away with a wave.

Donghyuck silently agrees, watching in silence as Lucas shrugs on a jacket.

“So,” Lucas starts, doing up its last few fastenings. “Which way are you guys going?”

“Queens,” Donghyuck answers, following after Yeri, who’s taken the lead towards the exit. “It’s where our friend lives.”

Lucas’ eyes go wide. “Word? I stay in Queens!”

“Oh my God,” Yeri gasps, slowing to a stop. She turns to Lucas, matching his excited expression. “You’re joking.”

“No, I’m dead ass serious,” Lucas says, placing his right hand over his heart.

“What a coincidence,” Donghyuck mutters flatly, once again fighting the urge to roll his eyes.

“ _Would it kill you to be more convincing?_ ” Renjun laughs into his ear.

Donghyuck sighs. “We could… ride the train together,” he offers, looking up at Lucas.

“I promise I’m not a creep or anything, which is probably what a creep would say… but I swear I’m not one, if you’re worried.”

Donghyuck’s mind briefly flashes to the revolver safely tucked away in his jacket, as well as the row of knives Yeri has hidden inside her own clothes.

“We aren’t,” Donghyuck declares, buttoning up his coat.

Lucas smiles. “Then let’s go.”

 

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

 

The trip to Queens is pretty uneventful to say the least. They sit side by side—Donghyuck squished between Yeri and Lucas—and don’t do much speaking (save for the odd, “that McDonald’s is trash. Never go there.” and “The view here’s always nice,” from Lucas, followed by a nod of acknowledgment from the two agents) until about five minutes into their commute when Lucas asks:

“Do you know where in Queens your friend lives?”

Donghyuck can feel Yeri tense up at his side. For a moment, he _himself_ panics—nothing about this had been planned—until Renjun says:

“ _He lives in Sunnyside—say that!_ ”

“Sunnyside,” Yeri then replies, peering out the window before her.

Donghyuck follows her gaze and, for a moment, watches as New York’s cityscape whizzes past them.

“Dude, same,” Lucas breathes, leaning forward to look _over_ Donghyuck and _at_ Yeri. “I’m on 42nd and 48th!”

“Renjun’s on 50th,” Donghyuck lies, choosing the first number that comes to mind.

“Shit that’s so close…” is Lucas’ response, followed by, “do you wanna share a cab? It’ll be cheaper if we do.”

 _This is almost stupidly easy_ , Donghyuck thinks, eyeing Lucas carefully.

Getting someone to trust in him this quickly has never happened before, and—truthfully—Donghyuck can’t figure out whether or not it’s because the man is a complete _idiot_ or because he’s actually, _genuinely_ nice.

Yeri waves her hand dismissively. “No worries, we’ll pay!”

“You sure?” Lucas queries, a brow shooting up.

“Yes, absolutely!” Yeri grins. “You’ve been so kind to us, it really is the least we can do!”

“Ight,” Lucas shrugs, leaning back against his seat with a _stupid_ smile on his face.

 _Idiot_ , Donghyuck decides, subtly shaking his head.

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

 

One transfer and a cab ride later (both paid for by the British Government), the trio descends at the corner of 42nd and 48th.

“So,” Lucas starts, leading the way towards his home. Donghyuck glances up at him. “How long are you guys in town for.”

“Just a few more days,” Donghyuck lies when Yeri doesn’t answer—too scanning the streets for any signs of Zeus to pay their conversation any kind.

“Why so short?” Lucas asks, curious.

“Danny gets homesick,” Yeri jokes, tuning back into their conversation, earning herself a playful smack to the shoulder.

Unfortunately, Donghyuck realizes too late that he’d used his sprained hand and winces. Yeri gives him a smug smile before going back to playing lookout.

“I’ve been meaning to ask, but…” Lucas starts once Yeri is out of earshot. Donghyuck lets out a grunt of acknowledgement. “What happened to your hand?”

Donghyuck clears his throat. “Sport injury.”

“Really? What sport?”

“Football,” Donghyuck lies.

“ _You wish you could play football_ ,” Renjun chimes in, sounding like he’s fighting back a yawn.

There’s a sympathetic pang in Donghyuck’s chest when he notes that Renjun should be about 10 or do hours into his 24 hour shift at the MI6 headquarters.

“You mean, like, soccer right?” Lucas then asks, beckoning Donghyuck’s attention again.

Donghyuck nods. “Uh huh.”

“That’s so cool,” Lucas grins.

Donghyuck shrugs, because it _really isn’t_ . But then again, Lucas _does_ seem like the type to be impressed by just about anything.

“I used to be a striker back in high school but my mom made my quit after I tore my ACL,” Lucas continues, looking up at the night sky. Donghyuck follows his gaze. “What position do you play?”

“ _Danny_ ,” Yeri calls, saving Donghyuck from having to come up with another lie. When Donghyuck looks to her, she has a phone pressed against her ear. He raises a brow curiously. “It’s Renjun,” she explains, pointing to the device with her free hand. “Something about _Istanbul_.”

Donghyuck slows to a stop.

 _Istanbul_.

It’s code word of theirs meaning something is about to go terribly wrong.

“What is it?” he asks, jogging over to Yeri, all while abandoning a _very_ confused Lucas.

“Something’s wrong,” she whispers, discreetly pointing at one of the houses lining the street. “Renjun says that one over there is his flat,” she continues. “None of his housemates drive.”

“Zeus?”

“Probably.”

“Renjun… any way you could confirm that for us?”

“ _I’m looking into their surveillance footage right now_ ,” Renjun replies. “ _I recognize a few of these guys from Prague last month. I’ll send the footage to Yeri’s phone._ ”

A few seconds later, the two agents are reviewing the footage from the small screen of Yeri’s device.

“That’s Jung Yoonoh and John Suh,” Donghyuck hisses.

Even with the clip’s grainy quality, he can immediately recognize the faces of Zeus’ lackeys—two highly skilled assassins Donghyuck hoped he’d never cross paths with ever again.

“What’s going on?” Lucas asks, sauntering over to where the agents are standing by a lamppost. “Does your friend need—oh what the hell?”

Donghyuck follows Lucas’ gaze and freezes.

“Who the fuck’s parked in my driveway?”

“ _Whatever you do, do not let him go home!_ ”

Donghyuck instinctively reaches out with his good hand and grabs a fistful of Lucas’ jacket, stopping him from getting any closer to the house. “You don’t want to do that.”

Lucas laughs uneasily, looking down at Donghyuck’s hand. “Why not?”

Before Donghyuck can answer, there’s the sound of a ringtone.

It’s Lucas’ phone.

“Shut that off,” Donghyuck orders, pulling Lucas closer to the lamppost.

“It’s my roommate,” Lucas retorts, frowning deeply.

“Shut it off before I put a bullet through it,” Donghyuck says again as he reaches into his jacket, fingers closing around the handle of his revolver.

“Bro, what the fuck?” Lucas barks, shuffling backwards.

He trips on the curb and falls onto his bum.

“ _Way to go, Hyuck_.” Renjun mutters sarcastically, probably watching the entire debacle through a hidden street camera.

“ _Stop_ ,” Yeri demands, coming between the two. She turns to Lucas. “Please. Turn it off.”

Surprisingly enough, Lucas complies. “This is fucked,” he mumbles, shutting off his phone with shaking fingers.

Yeri crouches before him and places a hand on his knee. “Lucas, I need you to listen to me carefully. Can you do that?”

Lucas nods, biting down on a trembling lip.

“That car in your driveway? It belongs to a very, _very_ dangerous man. He’s sent people—bad people—to find you.”

“But why me?”

“Today at the Museum, before the blast—which was his doing, by the way—he slipped something into your pocket. They’ve come to retrieve it.”

“How do you know? Why should I believe _any_ of what you just said?”

“The thing he planted on you?” Yeri continues, reaching into her jacket. She pulls out a card—her ID badge—and hands it to Lucas. “It was stolen from the British government. We were sent here to take it back.”

“You’re a spy,” Lucas breathes, looking at the card in disbelieving anger. Yeri nods. “What about him?”

“Him too,” Yeri confirms.

Lucas frowns, returning the card. “So you two lied to me.”

“For your protection,” Yeri protests, shaking her head. “We needed to get the drive from you _before_ Zeus did.”

Lucas’ frown deepens, the confusion on his face as obvious as Donghyuck’s impatience. “Zeus?”

“ _For Christ sake_ —the bad guy! Keep up,” Donghyuck quips, rolling his eyes.

“Don’t be an ass,” Yeri warns, shooting him a glare over her shoulder.

“I’m just saying,” Donghyuck continues, returning the glare. “If we want to keep him and his roommates alive, we need to get the flashdrive out of New York as soon as possible.”

“What do you mean? What’s gonna happen to my roommates?” Lucas asks, panicking.

“Nothing if you give us the flashdrive,” Donghyuck replies. “If you tell us where to find it we’ll get out of your hair and—hopefully—so will the assassins-”

“ _Assassins_?” Lucas echoes, his tone incredulous.

“Look—I get that you’re in shock,” Donghyuck snaps, teeth gritted and all. “But can you just tell us where you put the _bloody_ flashdrive after changing into these _stupid_ pyjamas before those _lunatics_ decide to blow up this entire block to find it?”

There’s a flash of _hurt_ in Lucas’ eyes and Donghyuck knows he’s hit a nerve.

“My pyjamas are not stupid. They’re warm, and comfortable, and… you don’t care…” Lucas trails off, deflating.

“ _Hyuck, you are such a dickhead_ ,” Renjun reminds him.

Donghyuck grits his teeth and turns away.

“Lucas,” Yeri calls softly. “Where is it?”

“It’s not here,” Lucas mutters, his voice sounding flat. “There was an… accident so I had to change out of my work clothes during the evacuation,” he pauses. Donghyuck holds his breath, impatient. “If the drive is still in my pocket like you say then it should be in my locker. At the museum.”

Donghyuck straightens, turning back to face the other two. “Alright then let’s go-”

“Wait!” Lucas pleads, rushing to his feet. “What about my roommates? You can’t just leave them here with those _assassins_.”

“He’s right,” Yeri says, standing up as well. “We can’t risk any casualties.”

“So let’s take them out,” Donghyuck shrugs, once again reaching into his jacket, only to be stopped by Yeri.

“No, not you,” she says, holding out her arm in order to bar is passage towards the house. “No hand to hand combat, remember?” she continues, to which Donghyuck lets out an indignant huff. “You stay with him. I’ll go.”

“I’m not letting you go in there alone,” Donghyuck argues, brows knit. “Suh and Jung are ruthless.”

“So am I,” Yeri assures him, grinning slightly.

“ _I second that_ ,” Renjun chimes in, to which Yeri laughs.

“You take him to the Museum,” she continues. “I’ll take care of his roommates.”

Donghyuck grimaces. “But-”

“No buts,” Yeri tuts, wagging her finger in his face. With her other hand, she adjusts her earpiece. “Renjun? Please look after the two of them.”

“ _Of course_ ,” Renjun vows.

“Okay,” she exclaims, turning to Lucas. “You’re in good hands,” she tells him and then to Donghyuck. “Good luck.”

“You too,” Donghyuck replies, fighting the urge to pull her into his arms—this isn’t a _goodbye_ , just a _see you later_ —and Yeri takes off. “And then there were two,” he sighs, rubbing the back of his neck as he glances over at Lucas. “You ready to go?”

Lucas shoves his hands into the pockets of his jacket and shrugs. “As if I have a choice,” he grumbles, setting off in the direction from which they came.

“ _Ten quid says he just stormed off_ ,” Renjun barters.

“Shut up,” Donghyuck shoots back before jogging up to the street to catch up with a brooding Lucas. “You might want to slow down. We’re trying to keep a low profile and we can do that if you’re sprinting out here in the dark.”

Lucas slows down, but says nothing.

“I’m starting to think I liked you more when you wouldn’t shut up,” Donghyuck grumbles, not liking the unnecessary tension between the two of them.

It’s bad energy—the kind that makes him feel restless and unfocused, which could be fatal in this line of work.

“You lied to me,” Lucas says, stopping altogether.

Donghyuck nearly walks into his back.

“For your own good,” he rushes out, skidding to a stop.

“Maybe…” Lucas continues, the set of his shoulders tense. “But it doesn’t feel like it. It feels insulting—kinda like you don’t respect me,” he explains, and Donghyuck bites his tongue. “And I know that you think I’m stupid, and loud, and annoying, which is fair—you wouldn’t be the first to think that—but…” Lucas falters, his shoulders drooling. “You didn’t have to _lie_ to me.”

“You wouldn’t have believed us if we’d told you the truth,” Donghyuck sighs, crossing his arms as best as he can without disturbing his shoulder.

Lucas turns to face Donghyuck. “How do you know that?”

Donghyuck scoffs. “It hasn’t even been ten minutes since you interrogated us-”

“For a good reason!” Lucas shoots back incredulously. “You were _lying_ to me.”

“I’m sorry but you wouldn’t have believed us,” Donghyuck repeats sternly. “Most people wouldn’t.”

Lucas looks away. “Well… I’m not most people.”

“So what you’re saying is you would’ve went along with this… plan if we’d told you from the get-go?” Donghyuck asks, always the skeptic.

“I believed you the first time, didn’t I?” Lucas shrugs.

Donghyuck tilts his head. “I guess you did.”

At that, Lucas begins to walk again—the subject _seemingly_ dropped—and Donghyuck follows.

“So…” Lucas starts again after a few beats of silence. “What else did you lie about?”

“Come on,” Donghyuck clicks his tongue. “Are you serious?”

“You owe me this,” Lucas says matter of factly. Donghyuck groans. “So are you really British?”

“You _saw_ our badges-”

“I saw _Katie’s_ ,” Lucas reminds him. “Or well… Yerim.”

“We call her Yeri,” Donghyuck mutters. “But yes. I am British—born and raised,” he continues, dramatically waving his bandaged hand. Lucas laughs. “What—you want me to show you my birth certificate?”

“No need,” Lucas shakes his head. “But… I’m guessing your name isn’t Danny?”

 _Not exactly_ , he almost says.

“It’s Donghyuck,” he says instead, staring ahead.

“It’s pretty,” Lucas decides after a few seconds of silence.

Donghyuck clears his throat, the tips of his ears burning red hot. “Thank you.”

The silence that comes after Donghyuck’s déclaration doesn’t last too long either.

“Hey, Donghyuck?” Lucas calls, slowing to yet another stop.

“Yeah?” Donghyuck replies, carefully meeting his gaze.

“Can we stop somewhere?” Lucas asks, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. “I really need to pee.”

Donghyuck blinks.

“I was gonna ask before but I was kinda mad at you,” Lucas continues, somewhat bashful.

“So you were just gonna…” Donghyuck trails off and sighs. “Nevermind.”

“So can we?”

Donghyuck shrugs. “Lead the way.”

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

 

They end up at a Wendy’s just off 48th—a short walk away from Lucas’ street.

Currently, they’re both seated across from one another in a booth. Lucas is eating—his stack of chicken nuggets shrinking with every second that passes—while Donghyuck sits in silence and watches.

He doesn’t say it outright but he’s worried. He’s worried about Yeri, the _stupid_ flashdrive’s integrity, the possible outcomes of this mission, and even Lucas.

Lucas who just hours ago was the source of an oncoming migraine of his. Lucas, whose safety he’s now been entrusted with for the duration of their trip to the museum.

It’s a heavy weight on his shoulders, he thinks, watching as Lucas joyful takes a sip of his drink.

“You want some?” Lucas asks, gesturing to his tray of food once he’s set down his drink.

“I’m alright,” Donghyuck shakes his head. “Eating in the job makes me feel heavy.”

Lucas ponders for a moment. “How long have you been on the job?”

“Eleven hours?” Donghyuck estimates, glancing over at the time displayed at the bottom of the overhead television’s screen. “Give or take.”

“Dude, that’s so bad!” Lucas gasps. “You should eat.”

Donghyuck shakes his head. “Don’t worry about me, I’m fine.”

“Shh,” Lucas shushes him, sliding the tray towards Donghyuck. “Eat my fries. I can’t risk having you pass out on me when you’re supposed to be keeping me safe.”

“Fair enough,” Donghyuck decides, carefully plucking a single fry from Lucas’ plate, and eats it.

“So…” Lucas starts after Donghyuck has eaten two more fries. “Tell me about yourself.”

Donghyuck finishes chewing. “Why?”

“I don’t know—we have time to kill, I guess?” Lucas stammers.

“I’m not really at liberty to say much,” Donghyuck sighs.

He’s already said enough.

“You don’t have to tell me your life story,” Lucas laughs awkwardly, shrugging. Donghyuck watches him chew on his straw, pensive. “Just tell me about… your interests.”

“My interests?” Donghyuck echoes.

“Your hobbies-”

“I know what it means,” Donghyuck cuts in, rolling his eyes. “I’ve just… never really been asked that before.”

Lucas’ eyes widen. “Are you serious?”

“I’m a full-time intelligence agent, I don’t have time for heart-to-hearts,” Donghyuck grumbles, earning himself a small smile on Lucas’ part.

“You don’t go out much, do you?”

“No, I’m rarely even home—it’s just… not for pleasure,” Donghyuck explains. “Mostly for business.”

Lucas nods. “So you don’t even go on dates?”

“Where is this going?” Donghyuck asks, stilling.

“I’m just curious! I mean, look at yourself—you’re young, handsome….” Lucas trails off, waving his free hand absentmindedly.

Donghyuck narrows his eyes. “And?”

“And I just find it hard to believe that you don’t date,” is Lucas’ answer.

“Again—I’m a full-time intelligence agent. I’ve been one since my nineteenth birthday…” Donghyuck explains before gesturing at the dining room around them. “I don’t do these kinds of things—I can’t.”

Lucas nods slowly, mulling Donghyuck’s words over. He sets down his drink and leans forward, arms folded neatly over the table. “But would you like to?”

“I like my job,” is Donghyuck’s immediate response.

In fact, he _loves_ his job. And although it’s nowhere near the easiest of professions to have—it can can get lonely, the hours are _long_ , and he’s been shot at more times than he can count—he’s four years into his career and he would not have it any other way.

 _It’s because you’re a masochist_ , he vaguely remembers Renjun telling him about a year ago, in response to the fractured collarbone he’d received as a result of being pushed off the second floor balcony of an opera house in Berlin.

“Sure,” Lucas says, bringing Donghyuck’s attention back to the conversation at hand. The former tilts his head, curious. “But that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy yourself.”

“I _am_ enjoying myself,” Donghyuck protests.

Lucas grins stupidly.

“ _What?_ ” Donghyuck demands, frowning.

“I just got you to admit that you’re having fun,” Lucas muses, straightening in his seat. Donghyuck watches in real time as his smile goes from _stupid_ to _smug._ “With me.”

“Please,” Donghyuck scoffs, annoyed. “That old man in the corner over there is better company than you.”

“Whatever you say…” Lucas sing-songs, going back to finishing his chicken nuggets.

Donghyuck rolls his eyes, just as he hears the familiar crackle of feedback in his ear, followed by Yeri’s voice.

“ _Donghyuck_ ,” she calls sounding frantic.

“Yeri? What’s wrong?” Donghyuck asks, adjusting his earpiece. Lucas eyes him curiously, abandoning his nuggets once more.

“ _Are you nearly at the museum?_ ”

“No, we had to make an unexpected stop…” Donghyuck mutters, sparing Lucas a quick glance. “Why?”

“ _Zeus is onto us_ ,” she reveals.

Donghyuck frowns. “How do you know?”

“ _Renjun. He said something about a bug in the servers,_ ” Yeri explains and Donghyuck nods. “ _We had to cut off contact in order to avoid selling ourselves out any more than we have_.”

“What about you, are you okay?”

“ _I_ _’m fine_ ,” she says dismissively. “ _I managed to get his flatmates out of there, but you need to hurry_.”

“Okay,” Donghyuck nods, turning back to Lucas.

“ _Be safe_ ,” Yeri says.

“You too,” Donghyuck replies, before signing off, and sighs.

“What’s wrong?” Lucas questions, brows knit with concern.

“Something came up,” Donghyuck explains, deciding to go about cleaning up after the two of them. He stands, holding onto the tray tightly. “We have to get moving.”

“What happened?”

“Zeus is onto us,” Donghyuck mutters, to which Lucas winces. “ And since Renjun can’t help, we’ll have to finish this on our own.”

Lucas blinks, following Donghyuck to the trash can. “Wait—Renjun’s _real_?”

“Of course he’s real,” Donghyuck snorts, setting the now-empty tray down onto the rack. “Now let’s go. We can’t afford to waste anymore time.”

Lucas nods fervently. “Right.”

They leave at once.

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

The museum empty when they arrive, on account of the ongoing inquiry on the origins of that morning’s explosion. They slip in through a maintenance door near the back of the building. It’s concealed by a row of oversized garbage bins and a safe distance from where a handful of police officers are stationed for the night.

“How far is the locker room from here,” Donghyuck asks once they’ve entered the building.

“It’s in the basement,” Lucas replies quietly. “By the lunchrooms.”

“And which way is that?”

“To the left. We can either take the stairs or the elevator.”

“Elevator will be faster,” Donghyuck decides, taking the lead. He slips his good hand into his jacket and pulls out his gun. Lucas visibly whitens. “Just in case,” Donghyuck assures. “Stay close.”

Lucas nods and they take off.

“How are you feeling?” Donghyuck asks, breaking the silence as the elevator begins its descent into the basement.

“Nervous,” Lucas mutters, confirming Donghyuck’s suspicions. “I could die tonight.”

“Don’t say that,” Donghyuck chides.

“You said that this Zeus guy is bad,” Lucas retaliates, pouting.

“I did… he _is_ ,” Donghyuck confirms, scratching the back of his head. “But… I’m a better agent than he is a criminal mastermind. We’ll be fine.”

“Okay,” Lucas stutters, sounding the _opposite_ of convinced.

“Look,” Donghyuck sighs. “If anything happens—anything you feel might pose an imminent threat to the two of us—say _Istanbul_.”

“I heard Yeri say that before,” Lucas points out. “What does it mean?”

“It’s a code word for when things are about to go bad,” Donghyuck explains, stepping out of the elevator. “You probably won’t have to use it, but if it comes to it, now you know,” Donghyuck continues, turning to Lucas. “Now which way do we go?”

“Down the hall.”

Donghyuck takes the lead once more, scanning his surroundings as they make their way to the end of the hallway, where an inconspicuous doorway stands.

“Do you have a passcard?” Donghyuck asks, taking note of the mechanism keeping the door locked. Lucas rummages through the front pocket of his hoodie in response and pulls out a lanyard, from which a small plastic card. Donghyuck takes it and presses it against the sensor. The door clicks open. “Thank you,” he says, handing the lanyard back to its rightful owner, and walks into the employee lounge.

“The men’s locker room is the last door on the left,” Lucas lets out, jutting his chin in its direction.

Donghyuck nods and approaches the door, which he slowly pushes open, his grip on his revolver tight.

The room is empty.

“You’re good,” Donghyuck calls over his shoulder, pushing the door open the rest of the way.

“Oh thank God,” Lucas exults, shuffling towards the locker room with hands on his chest. “Time to get this over with.”

“Make it quick,” Donghyuck mutters, stepping further into the room as Lucas goes through his locker. “I don’t want us to be here and longer than we have to.”

“Way ahead of you,” Lucas says, brandishing a small object—the flash drive. He grins and tosses it to Donghyuck, who catches it and immediately tucks it into his jacket. “Let’s get the fuck out of here.”

“Let’s,” Donghyuck concedes, turning on his heels.

As they take the elevator back up to the first floor, Donghyuck can’t help but feel uneasy with how simple things have been up to this point. If this is Zeus they’re meant to be dealing with, there’s no way things should be this quiet.

It’s as Donghyuck casts a furtive glance towards the exhibits that surround the two of them that the lights go off all at once.

“Shit,” he hisses, slowing to a stop.

Beside him, Lucas tenses. “W-what’s happening?”

“Stay close,” Donghyuck orders, avoiding the question.

He doesn’t need Lucas to be any more anxious than he already is.

His attempts prove to be futile when—out of nowhere—music begins to play. Donghyuck immediately recognizes the opening bars of Clint Mansell’s _Lux Aeterna_ and curses.

“Always with the _bloody_ theatrics,” Donghyuck grumbles, pocketing his gun in favour of closing his good hand around Lucas’ wrist.

Lucas places his hand over Donghyuck’s and squeezes tightly as the music grows louder and louder with every second that passes.

Donghyuck hates it. He hates how they’re just _standing_ there in the darkness like sitting ducks—waiting for things to go terribly wrong.

And it doesn’t take long at all for things to do just that.

For the second time that day, there’s a blast, and Donghyuck is knocked to the ground by the sheer force of it.

“ _Donghyuck!_ ” Lucas cries out, his voice sounding distant and muffled as it melds with the ever present ringing in Donghyuck’s ears.

“I’m right here,” Donghyuck rasps, struggling to get back up.

He doesn’t need any lighting to know that the stitching in his shoulder has come undone.

“I can’t see you,” Lucas calls.

Donghyuck stumbles. “Don’t move-”

He’s interrupted by yet another blast—this one smaller than the last—followed by a series of bright, flashing lights.

It’s disorienting—enough that Donghyuck is his with a wave of nausea too hard to fight. He closes his eyes, teeth gritted in pain, and waits for the flashing to stop.

“Donghyuck…” Lucas says once the lights have gone out again. Donghyuck cracks an eye open and is met with big splotches of blue. He winces. “Please tell me that’s you.”

Donghyuck groans. “What-”

“Hate to disappoint you, but my name’s Zeus.”

The lights come on.

Donghyuck freezes.

Zeus is standing across the rotunda with a gun pressed to Lucas’ head.

Lucas struggles and Zeus cocks the gun, prompting him to still.

“Stop,” Donghyuck slurs, clambering to his feet. He reaches into his jacket and pulls out his gun. Zeus laughs when Donghyuck aims it at his head. “Let him go.”

“Not until he gives me what’s mine,” Zeus tuts.

“He doesn’t have it,” Donghyuck protests, breathing heavily. “Let him go.”

“Who has it?” Zeus questions, his tone clipped.

“You really think I’m going to tell you?” Donghyuck lets out, laughing (though it sounds more like a cough than anything). “That’s rich.”

“Don’t make this harder than it needs to be,” Zeus sighs, his grip around Lucas’ neck tightening. “Give me the USB, Daniel.”

“Daniel?” Lucas gasps, momentarily forgetting about the barrel of a gun that is currently pressed against his skull.  “I thought you said your name was Donghyuck.”

“It is. They both are…” Donghyuck falters, looking at Lucas apologetically. “It’s a long story but we don’t really have the time for right now,” he says, cocking his gun. “Hope you understand.”

Zeus rolls his eyes. “I want the USB.”

“You’re going to have to look elsewhere. Neither of us have it,” Donghyuck lies.

“You’ve always been such a terrible liar,” Zeus chuckles. “Do you _want_ me to kill your friend?”

Donghyuck swallows thickly. “He’s not my friend.”

He ignores the flash of hurt in Lucas’ eyes.

“Not Lucas. I’m talking about the other one,” Zeus continues, grinning evilly. “What was his name? Oh right—Renjun?”

Donghyuck stills. “What have you done to him?”

“Oh nothing yet,” Zeus sings. “But if neither of you tell me where the USB is, then I’ll have someone plant certain documents on that computer of his. They’ll have him executed come Monday,” he explains. “Try to kill me, they’ll do it anyway.”

Donghyuck slides his finger over the trigger. “You’re bluffing.”

Zeus’ smile grows. “Are you willing to take that risk?”

 _It’s a 50:50 chance,_ Donghyuck finds himself thinking again.

“Yes,” he decides.

“Bad answer,” Zeus pouts before pushing Lucas away.

Before Donghyuck can react, Zeus aims his gun at Lucas’ shoulder and shoots.

“Lucas!” Donghyuck cries out, watching as the boy in question falls to the floor.

“Give me the drive!” Zeus barks, violently kicking Lucas onto his back.

In a moment of sheer panic—induced only by the howl of pain that leaves Lucas’ lips as Zeus presses onto his wound with his foot—Donghyuck lets his gun clatter to the floor and reaches into his pocket, where he finds the drive in question.

Zeus grins, watching in silence as Donghyuck tosses it into his outstretched hands, and runs off.

Donghyuck wastes no time rushing over to Lucas.

“D-Donghyuck,” Lucas croaks, his forehead shining with sweat.

“You’re okay,” Donghyuck splutters, instinctively pressing a hand against the bleeding wound in order to apply pressure. Lucas winces, clutching at Donghyuck’s arm. “You’re gonna be okay.”

“ _Fuck_ ,” Lucas coughs. “I’m going to die.”

“No, you’re _not_ ,” Donghyuck protests, using his free hand to reach into Lucas pocket for his phone. He dials nine-one-one, hands shaking. “Stop fucking saying that.”

Though before Donghyuck can even press _call_ , there’s a familiar voice crying out his name somewhere in the distance.

“Yeri?” Donghyuck bleats, Lucas’ phone slipping out of his blood-slicked grasp. He looks up to find Yeri running over to the two of them, followed by two paramedics hauling a stretcher. “Yeri,” he repeats, this time shakily. “Over here!”

“What happened here?” one of the first responders asks, crouching down to get a better look at Lucas’ state.

“Gunshot,” Donghyuck says quietly as Yeri walks over to him. She places a comforting hand on his uninjured shoulder. “The bullet should still be in there.”

“It hurts,” Lucas groans, his breathing ragged as he does.

“We’ll get you fixed up in no time,” the other paramedic says, carefully securing the fastenings on the stretcher. “Up you go.”

Yeri helps Donghyuck to his feet as the paramedics hoist a near-delirious Lucas onto the stretcher.

“Did you hear that, Hyuck?” Lucas asks, the nickname rolling off his tongue effortlessly. Donghyuck chokes back a sob. “They’re gonna fix me.”

“I heard,” Donghyuck nods, forcing a smile.

“Catch you… on the flip side,” Lucas slurs as the paramedics roll him away.

Donghyuck turns to Yeri once they’ve disappeared around the corner. She wordlessly wraps her arms around Donghyuck and holds him tight.

Exhausted, Donghyuck lets himself cry into her shoulder.

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

 

A few minutes later, they’re both seated side by side on the stairwell leading up to the museum. There’s first responders of all kind milling about, as well as a string of journalists lined up behind a mile or so of caution tape, itching to be the first to report tonight’s incident.

“You never said—how’d you know to come here?” Donghyuck asks, lightly nudging her forearm with his elbow.

He’s careful not to jostle his newly patched up shoulder in the process.

“Call it intuition, I guess.” Yeri shrugs, slowly turning her head to face Donghyuck. She smiles. “I didn’t think it’d be a good idea to let you come here without any back up at all.”

Donghyuck nods slowly. “What about the flatmates?”

“I dropped them off at our Airbnb before coming. They’re safe.”

“And Zeus?” Donghyuck follows up, his voice barely above a whisper. Yeri raises a brow. “Did you see him when you came?”

She shakes her head. “No, why?”

“I panicked,” Donghyuck admits, looking down at his clasped hands. “He said he was going to do something to Renjun, so I let him have the flash drive. I fucked up.”

“Don’t say that,” Yeri clicks her tongue, placing her hand above Donghyuck’s.

“But it’s true,” Donghyuck sighs, resting his head against her shoulder. “First the explosion, now this? I keep messing up and it nearly cost Lucas his life.”

“Donghyuck, listen to me,” she says, using her other hand to rub soothing circles against Donghyuck’s back. “Zeus is unpredictable. He always has been, okay? That isn’t your fault.”

“But I let him get away,” Donghyuck pouts.

“And we’ll get him some other time,” Yeri replies easily. “Just not today.”

“Not if they fire me,” Donghyuck grumbles.

“TJ? Firing _you_?” Yeri laughs, shaking her head. “Don’t make me laugh. And Lucas? He’ll be okay. He’s strong.”

Donghyuck’s mind briefly flashes back to just moments ago, when Lucas had bid him farewell with a _shaka_ sign and a smile as the paramedics lifted him into an ambulance.

“I guess…” Donghyuck decides quietly. “You’re right.”

“I always am,” Yeri jokes, straightening. She stands, turning to Donghyuck, and holds out her hand. “Now let’s go. We’ve got hungry college students to feed.”

Donghyuck rolls his eyes, but takes Yeri’s hand anyway.

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

They catch Zeus three days later.

Unlike the last two, this operation runs as smoothly as an ambush can, and it’s all thanks to Renjun and Taeil who—two days prior—had joined Donghyuck and Yeri in the New York to facilitate the mission and tie up a few of its loose ends.

“Have fun in prison, dickhead.” Donghyuck tells the man as he is escorted out of a fancy cafe and into a military grade armoured vehicle in broad daylight.

“This isn’t over, Daniel.” Zeus tells him, winking.

“Well, it is for now.” Donghyuck shoots back, shutting the SUV’s back door with a flourish.

It drives off.

“And we still have time to catch that flight back to London,” Renjun points out, glancing down at his digital watch.

“Thank God,” Yeri huffs, momentarily slumping against a parking meter. “I haven’t seen Sooyoung in weeks,” she pouts, crossing her arms. “I miss her.”

“And you’ll get to see her soon,” Taeil calls, exiting the cafe in question. He walks over to the three agents and clasps his hands. “Congratulations on all your hard work, kids.”

Renjun grins, joyfully patting the older man on the back. “Thanks, TJ.”

“Yes, thank you.” Yeri smiles, straightening.

“And thanks for not, uh, firing me?” Donghyuck laughs, scratching the back of his head.

“Anytime,” Taeil grins. “Now are you two riding with me or Renjun?”

“I’ll take them,” Renjun offers with a shrug.

“Then it’s settled,” Taeil nods, fixing his suit. “I need to stop by the embassy, but I’ll see you lot at the airport before our flight.”

“Aye aye captain,” Donghyuck jokes, saluting his mentor, who shakes his head and walks over to his government issued vehicle. Donghyuck then turns to Renjun, who is currently walking alongside Yeri to his own rental, and jogs to match their pace. “Hey Junie?”

Renjun nods. “What’s up?”

“Could we actually make a stop before heading down to the airport?”

Yeri smiles knowingly.

Renjun shrugs. “Of course.”

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

 

Within the next half hour, Donghyuck is standing in Lucas’ driveway, watching as its owner closes the front door behind him and steps into the sunlight. When Lucas comes to a full stop, there’s at least a meter’s worth of distance between the two of them, and it’s about as noticeable as the tension in the air that surrounds them.

Donghyuck clears his throat, his eyes drawn to the medical sling binding Lucas’ shoulder. “Hi.”

“Hey,” Lucas replies, grinning shyly.

“Long time no see, huh…” Donghyuck hesitates.

“I’ve been busy,” Lucas laughs, gesturing to the sling on his arm, and Donghyuck deflates.

“I’m really sorry about that,” Donghyuck says, looking down at his own bandaged hand. “I-I wanted to see you in the hospital, but we still had to find Zeus and… I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be,” Lucas chirps, shaking his head. “You were just doing your job.”

“Yeah, but… I promised I’d keep you safe.” Donghyuck replies, frowning.

Lucas shrugs. “I’m alive, aren’t I?”

“Sure, but-”

“Don’t be so hard on yourself,” Lucas laughs, taking a step closer to Donghyuck. “I’m serious. This—this was Zeus,” he says, placing a hand on his own shoulder. “ _He_ pulled the trigger. Not you.”

“We caught him this morning,” Donghyuck reveals after a few minutes of _painful_ silence. “At a cafe in SoHo.”

“Good,” Lucas hums, nodding.

“And now that the mission’s done,” Donghyuck continues, fingers fiddling with the fabric of his splint. “I have to go back to Britain.”

Lucas tilts his head. “When?”

“We were actually on our way to the airport, just now.” Donghyuck relays, gesturing to the idle car he knows is behind him. Renjun and Yeri are probably taking in the scene before them, laughing amongst themselves. “I-I wanted to stop by and check on you before we did.”

Lucas’ smile is back. “You were worried about me.”

“I mean you were shot. And…” Donghyuck falters, his cheeks heating up. “I don’t know… I guess? I haven’t been able to sleep much because of it,” he admits, unable to meet Lucas’ gaze. “But you’re here. And that’s… good.”

“ _Just_ good?” Lucas prods, taking yet another step towards Donghyuck.

“Great,” Donghyuck corrects himself. “Amazing… Superb?”

Lucas’ smile widens. “Donghyuck?”

“Uh huh?” Donghyuck replies, looking up.

Lucas licks his lips. “Can I kiss you?”

“Yes,” Donghyuck nods, his voice barely above a whisper.

With a single hand, Lucas gently pulls Donghyuck forward and closes what few centimetres of distance remained between them with a soft kiss.

And Donghyuck? Donghyuck _melts_ at the touch, his legs nearly giving out beneath him.

“Call me sometime?” Lucas asks away once he’s pulled away.

“I don’t have your number,” Donghyuck says, hyper-aware of the way Lucas’ thumb is stroking the expanse of his burning cheeks.

“I’m sure Renjun’ll find it for you,” is Lucas’ answer. Donghyuck shakes his head, laughing, and Lucas drops his hand to his side. “Have a safe flight home.”

“You too,” Donghyuck replies all too quickly, before catching himself. “I mean—have a lovely day, Lucas.”

Lucas only laughs in response and Donghyuck backs away until he’s safe inside Renjun’s car.

“Damn, Daniel.” Renjun says, starting the engine. “Didn’t know you had it in you.”

“You should’ve seen them before,” Yeri snorts, ruffling Donghyuck’s hair from where she sits in the back seat. “The tension was laughable, honestly.”

Renjun cackles, putting the car into drive. “And here I thought TJ sent you here to retrieve a flash drive, not find yourself a husband.”

But Donghyuck doesn’t reply.

Instead, he watches with butterflies in his stomach as Lucas waves from his place on his slanted driveway.

Donghyuck waves back.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> hello again,
> 
> i hope that this wasn't too confusing LMAO
> 
> you can ask me questions on [twitter](http://twitter.com/ladykiIlua) if you wanna!
> 
> thank you so much for reading! 
> 
> ps: if you know where the title is from i might love you maybe


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